Refrigerator or cabinet



s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. [lad {bye/nan Z Mw 4 ATTORNEY.

L. G. COPEMAN REFRLGERATOR 0R CABINET f Filed Nov. 1e, 1925 Nov. 20, 1928.

ESL in @s Nov. 20, 1928.

L. G. COPEMAN REFRIGERATOR OB CABINET Filed NOV. 16,V 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Y NToR.

' Z034? ('Qve/fI/L 'BY l ATTORNEY.

atented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LLOYD G. COPEMAN, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNR T COPEMAN LABORATORIES COMPANY, OF FLIN T, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION 0F MICHIGAN.

REFRIGERATOR OR CABINET.

This invention relates to cabinets and refrigerators. It is the object of the invention to provide a refrigerator or cabinet which will control the expansion of the wood due to the swelling through moisture. More particularly it has to do with an improved joint or corner for wooden structures. In some of my prior applications, in particular application No. 7 32,67 7, I have described and claimed l0 a refrigerator in which a core of wood is coated with an Oxy-chloride cement consisting of magnesium oxide, ground silica and silica sand. A refrigerator of this character is all right where the stone is cast over the wood Y and is of sufficient thickness as to completely embed the wood in the stone. This keeps out the moisture and also resists the pulling apart of the wooden joints.

However, I found that it is'rather difficult to cast these coatings on wooden cores, and

involves considerable of a problem where a large production program is contemplated,

for each refrigerator requires a separate set of molds in which the work has to remain for a considerable length of time to harden. I

therefore nd it preferable to spray the oxychloride cement coating onto the refrigerator.

This can be finished oil' and 'covered with a finishing enamel such as Duco so that when 3 completed it hasw as nice and as handsome a finish as with a cast job. However, I iind it dicult to prevent moisture from getting into the wooden joints and pulling them apart and cracking the sprayed-on coating. It is the object of this present invention toprovide a reinforced woodenl shell in which the expansion and contractionjof the wooden core is more or less controlled in the manner that 'I am about to explain.

In the drawings: i

Fig. 1 is a vertical section in my improved refrigerator, taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. f

Fig. 3 is across section showing the refrigerator before the same has been completed and the back portion closed. v

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective of one of the corners showing the joint construction 50 by which the expansion and contraction of the wooden core is prevented.

j In my United States Patent No. 1,538,469, tiled May 19, 1925, I have described and claimed a refrigerator madeup of solid stone shells which forms a very efcient and ine refrigerator. It is opento the objection however, that it is relatively heavy and will be rather freely fractured if roughly handled. In my United States application No. 732,677, I have described and claimed a refrigerator which has an outer shell and an inner shell, with exposed stone surfaces but which is made up of'a pair of wooden boxes. This construction, as already explained, is very eilicient when the coating of stone is cast on, but this is a rather difficult thing in a large production program. In my United States application -729,729, I have described and claimed a refrigerator construction in which the interior is cast united to a single wooden shell with intervening insulating material such as cork board. The exterior of this wooden shell may be coated with Oxy-chloride cement either by casting 'or by spraying. The insulating material may be cork board or balsa wood or any other suitable material. However, I find that'where the exterior coating in refrigerators, such as these, is sprayed on the moisture is apt to get into the'joints and cause them to swell and cause them to break the outside coating, which of course, is not desirable. yI largely eliminate this difficulty by the construction now about to be described. Instead of making the outer shell of plain wood as shown and described in application 729,729, I employ ply metal. This is designated a and consists of wood which is cemented to sheet metal preferably of a non-corrosive character, the same being galvanized or some form of alloyed steel which is not so liable to rust. This ply metal can now be purchased on the market. The wooden core of this ply metal can either be a single strip of wood as shownv in the drawings, or it may be laminated sheets of wood. It will be noticed in the drawings, and ordinarily, that this ply metal is provided with metal on each side. This is'more desirable, as it tends to neutralize the tendency of this composite material 'to warp or distort. However, I do not desire to be limited to ply metal that has metal on both sides, as of course measurably good results can be accomplished with metal only on the exterior face.

A cabinet such as is shown in Fig. 1 is built having its sides constructed of this ply metal, while the interior partitions I) and o are preferably California redwood, and the top d and the bottom e are also of this redwood. The piece of ply metal at the top has a portion of l metal is bent over glazed appearance.

swelling and expansion of the jolnts is more the wood stripped oi, andl also the inner.

metal facing, leaving the outer metal facing f, which can be turned over the curved corner g of the top panel of the refrigerator. This panel is grooved as at k so that this metal facing may be turned into this groove as at 2. The metal is stretched tightly,V with the tongue of the metal in the groove. Screws z', or other fastening devices, serve to secure the exterior facing of the ply metal tightly to the top member. This forms a very strong. binding between the top panel and the side panels of the cabinet. In short, it gives a strong tension member which-tends to resist 4 any separating action. It further forms a covering which tends to exclude moisture from getting into the joints.

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that this wooden cabinet which has the wooden corner posts y' and the central mullion c is laid over the metal cores m and n which fit into'the interior openings. The Oxy-chloride cement is poured in, forming a stone shell 0r a crock o. This fills up to the level p, (Fig. 3) and thereupon the balsa wood or cork boards g (Fig. 2), are laid in place and then referably the wood posts s, and finally t e ply the back and the stripped exterior facing t is fitted over and secured by screws u to the underlying metal ply wood. This tightly closes the back. y

The top is constructed in the way that I have described. Now preferably a'thin coating of the Oxy-chloridey cement, this coating designated lv (Fig. l) is flowed over the top wooden panel substantially Hush with the metal and allowed todry, thereupon the cabinet may be sprayed with a suitable oxychloride cement, which may be properly finished with sandpaper or otherwise, and then a finishing enamel such as Duco or other material sprayed thereover. This forms a Very line exterior appearance simulating the fused-on enamels of bathroom fixtures but being even smoother and presenting a higher At the same time, the

or less effectively controlled. Referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that `in constructing thewooden shell or core, a wood door frame w is placed inside of the front corner post y' and the center mullion k, the ply metal, it will be seen, is stripped out-down to the exterior facing .metal so as to bend around the corner post j-y It is also stripped down to the exterior facing metal as at a2 to fit into the door openings and is provided with an inturned tongue or hook y which fits into a groove. This forms a metal' facing for the door opening and the sill, and effectively covers up the joint between the corner post and the side panels of the wooden shell It would of course, be possible to use this metal sheathing without encasing it in the coating of stone but of course, it would not be as effective and'would not be nearly as nice a piece of work from an artistic standpoint. I also desire it understood that I do not limit myself to what is known technically as ply metal, that is, a laminated composite material' in which the metal sheets are cemented to the wooden sheets, as measurably good results can be accomplished without the use of the cement. I therefore use the term ply metal in the more general sense as covering a panel construction in which a wooden panel is covered by a metal sheathing and any alteration of this simple structure in the way of increasing the number of the laminations and the intimacy of their relation by means of cement or other fastening means.

It will also be apparent that the same construction may be carried out with the doors. However, I have not found it necessary to illustrate this in detail, as anyone skilled in the artV could work it out in connection with the doors and the door panels.

What I claim is:

1. A cabinet or refrigerator comprising a wooden shell having jointed corners in which one of the wooden panels is curved and projects outwardly beyond the other and a ply metal sheathing encasing a portion of the wooden shell and being stripped downy near said joint so as to underlie said projecting portion and stretched over the corner joints and over the rounded porti and having a turned-in portion embedded 1n the wooden shell.

'2. A-cabinet or refrigerator, comprising a shell made up of wooden members and ply metal, the said wooden members being grooved adjacent the joints and the ply metal being stripped near some of its edges to the metal exterior facing, the said stripped down metal exterior facing of two portions of the ply metal being bridged across the joints and having its edge turned into the grooved member and being -securely fastened to such adjacent wooden member so as to form a tension member which controls the expansion of the joints and form a complete metal covering.

3. A cabinet or refrigerator, comprising a shell made up of wooden members and ply metal, the said wooden members being grooved adjacent the joints, and the ply metal being stripped near some of its edges down to the metal exterior facing, the said stripped down metal exterior facing being bridged across the joints and turned into the grooved member and being securely fastened to such adjacent wooden member so as to form a tension member which controls the expansion of the joints, and a stone coating applied over a large portion of said cabinet providing an exterior Yfinish to conceal and protect the joints. j

4. A cabinet, or refrigerator, comprising a shell made up of Wooden members, said shell having an opening adapted to receive a closure member, a ply metal covering for the wooden shell,.said ply metal being stripped down to its exterior casing adjacent at least one edge of said opening, and said exterior casing being turned inwardly into said opening and secured to a Wooden member to form a. metal facing for the opening.

5. A cabinet, 0r refrigerator, comprising a shell made up of Wooden members, said shell having an opening adapted to receive a closure member, a ply metal covering for the 'Wooden shell, said ply meta-l being stripped down to its exterior casing adjacent the edges of the opening and to a point substantially flush with the edges' of the opening, said exterior casing being turned inwardly into the opening and secured in place in said opening to form metal facings for said opening.

In testimony whereof I have alifiXed my signature.

LLOYD G. COPEMAN. 

